Gutsy Work Advice from Mika Brzezinski

The co-host of MSNBC's Morning Joe wrote about juggling family, work, and her own ambitions in the memoir, All Things at Once. She talks to us about bad boyfriends, Paris Hilton, and how to get ahead in a crappy economy.

Cosmo: If you had to pick one, what has been your biggest asset in
your career?

Mika: My scrappiness. The ability to pick myself up after I've
fallen down.

Cosmo: Speaking of falling down, getting fired still tops our list of
major nightmares. How did you turn getting axed from your job at CBS into a big
break?

Mika: I did something a lot of people will have to do in this economy
if they want to eventually land their dream job. I turned down an offer to take a
high-paying position in another field because it wouldn't fulfill me. Instead, I told
MSNBC I was desperate and took a freelance job (and pay cut) that would at
least keep me close to a job that I really wanted.

Cosmo: How do you know when you're stuck with what you call "a
bad boyfriend" type of job?

Mika: A bad boyfriend is someone you give everything to — you live
with him, cook for him, sleep with him — thinking he is going to marry you and
then he doesn't. When you are giving your all to a job and not getting credit, your
job is a bad boyfriend.

Cosmo: In real life toxic boyfriends rarely change. Is it possible to
change a toxic job?

Mika: Well, there was a time when my job at MSNBC was becoming
a bad boyfriend because I had given them my all and had helped make Morning
Joe successful, but I was still a freelancer. After working there for nine months I
went to my boss and said, "This job is becoming a bad boyfriend. You need to
marry me or the relationship is over."

Cosmo: You actually said that?

Mika: Yes, and my boss looked at me like I was crazy, but it
worked.

Cosmo: Everyone knows you have to be willing to take a risk if you
really want to be successful, but in this economy it can be hard to make a gutsy
move. Short of asking for a promotion or quitting your job to start your own
business, are there any ways young women can get ahead in such an uncertain
time?

Mika: I hesitate to give a blanket rule, because it's a combination
of things — you have to be artful, aggressive, and at times relentless. You have
to be ready to work, but also need to know yourself, your value, and what you bring
to the table.

Cosmo: We were shocked to read in your book that a top network
executive said he didn't think you were attractive enough to be a nightly news
anchor. How did you deal with that?

Mika: That was just something that I heard, and I'm not sure how
much it factored into his decision. Looks are a big part of my industry and I've
been told at different times in my career that I needed to lose weight or go for a
different look. By the way, because this is television sometimes they were right.
But it's how you transcend the stereotypical ideas about beauty that determines
your fate.

Cosmo: One of your biggest moments on Morning Joe (and
Youtube.com) was tearing up a script that lead with a news story of Paris Hilton
getting out of jail. We love a woman who sticks to her guns. What inspired you to
take a stand against that story?

Mika: Earlier in my career I would have never done that. I would
have worried about being fired, but I was thinking, 'Fired? Been there.'
Sometimes when you trust yourself to take over the moment you end up being
smarter than you even knew you were.